Sweefek



1. McKE E.

SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED 0c.21. I916- 1,314,967 Patented Sept. 2,1919.

ATTORNEY 'rm: COLUMBIA 'LANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON. o. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MOKEE, OF GREEN EVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SWEEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN McKEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greeneville, in the county of Greene and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Sweeper, of which the following is a specific'ation.

This invention relates to sweepers or brooms especially adapted for use on streets, in stables, in warehouses and in sweeping yards or grass.

ob ect of the present invention is to improve the construction of sweepers or brooms by utilizing woven wire, wire netting, metallic screening or similar sweeping material instead of the fibers, ratan, or metallic material now in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which will. prevent the dirt, trash, or refuse from slipping past the ends of the sweeper when it is being used adjacent a side wall or curb.

A further object of the invention is to provide a scraper so arranged with reference to the-handle and at such an angle thereto that a single motion will scrape and scoop the dirt or trash, the sweeping material of the broom cooperating therewith to clean the surface.

A still further object of the invention is to provide detail improvements in construction for clamping the strips of netting or woven wire to the head of the broom and for attaching the handle thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, in which Figure l is a perspective view thereof on a reduced scale.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, with the handle and rear clamping member removed.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof illustrating the manner of connecting the handle to the head and on a slightly enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 4:-4 of Fig. 2.

5 is a transverse sectional view there of through one of the clamping bolts and on a slightly enlarged scale, illustrating the cooperative action of the scraper and brush.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the woven wire, screening or netting used.

In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated, there has been provided an attaching piece 1 constituting a spacing block, preferably of wood. Substantially rectangular str ps 2 of metallic wire netting of comparatively fine mesh are attached to each side of the piece or block 1. In the embodiment of the invention here shown, each of the strips is doubled as indicated at 3, Fig. 6, providing opposite plies and contiguous free edges 4 constituting the sweeping material of the broom and projecting below the head thereof. The strips are attached adjacent the doubled portions thereto to the piece 1 by means of tacks 5, or like attaching devices, see Fig. 4. l

I do not desire to be limited to any particular kind of wire netting. The well lmown window and door screening which is made of interwoven metallic wires has been found in actual practice to be very satisfactory for this purpose.

The head of the broom comprises a pair of wooden clamping members 6 provided with angular recesses 7 at the lower inner portion thereof. These recesses cooperate to form a substantially rectangular recess adapted to receive the upper portions of the strips of wire netting and piece 1 to which they are attached. Clamping strips or plates, preferably of metal, are interposed between the sweeping material and the members 6 and are co-extensive in length with the clamping members. The rear clamping strip is indicated at 8, and the front clamping strip is indicated at 9. The lower portions of the clamping members 6, the clampmg strips or plates 8 and 9, the doubled strips of wire netting and the attaching piece are all clamped together by means of a plurality of transversely extending bolts 10, whereby a very strong and durable structure is obtained.

The lower portion of the clamping strip 9 extends below and outwardly from the member 63, forming a scraper 11 in front of the sweeping material. This scraper, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 3, diverges downwardly from the vertical plane of the sweeping material at an acute angle thereto.

The sweeping material, however, extends a substantial distance below and beyond the operating edge of the non-elastic scraper.

The ends 12 of the wire netting strips project at each side beyond the ends of the head of the broom or sweeper and attaching iece, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. These ends are more or less resilient and flexible V 20 Fig. 1.

V 55 engagement with the surface. 7 'A forward strips and'said block, said members and said no it eration, The method of thus using the length'so' as to project beyond the ends 65 the netting will'also perform-its cleaning plates interposed between; said Qclampmg it;

in all directions, and serve a purpose which and sweeping function simultaneously with will be more fully described hereinafter. V the scraping function of the scraper.

The upper portions of the clamping mem- My broom also has a special advantage bers 6 are provided with a forwardly and when it is desired to clean surfaces which downwardly inclined assageway 13 receiv-. .lie adjacent curbs and Side walls,zand for 70 ing the handle 14. The lower forward porthis purpose the projecting ends of the tion of the handle is provided with on opensweeping material, which are flexible and ing 15, through which and through the mem resilient, are adapted to lie against and bers 6, extends a transverse inclined bolt 16 closely engage the eurb orside wall, as the a engaging at one end the washers 17 outside broom is pushed forwardly lengthwise there- 75 of one'of the members, and being provided with; This will prevent any dirt or rubbish with a suitable nut 18 at-it's opposite end from escaping. to the rear of the broom be engaging the opposite.clamping, member, tween the same and the curb. By'keeping whereby thehandle is securely held in place the end of the broom, which is remo e from i upon the head.' V V The upper portions of the members 6 position, the escape of dirt or rubbish past above the recesses whichare' in contact with both ends of the broom will be'preventedI 'each other, are further held together by *While I have shown and descri ed 0 means of transversely; extending bolt .19, embodiment of my invention,it is to be un-Q V i j derstood that I do not desire to be limited 5 The above'described construction is much 7 t0 e d i s of co c herein ow superior to the fiber or ratan' sweepers or and described, for obvious modifications will. 7 "brooms now in use. The transverse and occur to anyone skilled in the ar longitudinal wires of which thenetting' is T Construction share-111 Shown, minus t I the'curbor side wall, ina slightly forward eg E made give, the, sweep ng-material 3 trength, llGJIlClle, COUlCl be appliedto asweeplng ma 90 y sessed by 'unwoven wire or metal agent; it h Claims tobe so interpreted, is much more durable and works better on 7 What is claimed 1s:V-

elasticity and cleanin 'propertie t o chine with equallygood effect, and I desire grass and pavements. One advantage of my In a; broom or sweeper, the. combina- .7 '30 invention isthat rubbish does not adhere to t1on with a head, of a plurality of strlps O 95 the sweeper as in other constructions. As woven wirenetti ng f n me a h inmost sweepers of this kind, the sweeping the head, PI'OJBCtIIIg therefrom and consti- V stroke is also here made preferably by pushtuting the sole sweeplng body of the sweeper,1-i

ing the sweeper from you orin front of you. the longitudinal andtransverse wires .of the I V This pushing, however, can now be done netting imparting strength and elasticity tome very easily by reason. of my construction. the body.

7 My improvement providesqa construction QBThe' combinationfwith-the a r which raises very little dust, and cleans and. Sweepen'of a plurality of stripsof; Woven v sweeps better'at a stroke than constructions wire netting of fine mesh doubled within 40 now in use. The material used does not said head, secured thereto/at the doubled por- 1 05f crush or mat and quickly returns to vertion, and projecting outwardly therefrom, tical position on account of the inherent said strips being longer than said head so as elasticity thereof due to the fact that the to form resiliently flexible ends projecting fabric is made up of transverse and longibeyond the ends-of said head. tudinal wires. '3. Ina sweeper, a'wooden attaching b1ock, 11o The netting wires extending longitudia plurality of strips of sweeping material nally from one endlto the other of the strip doubled to form opposlte plies, means for atlengthwise thereof-materially strengthens taching said material at thedoubled por the sweeping materialand increases the elastions to the opposite'sides of said block, the ticityand cleaning property thereof. IEI'QGpOItlOIlSi OfSLid strips projectingjout-i V hen it isde'sired to scrape dirt sticking w'ardly from the block, clamping members; to a surface, all'that is necessary is to push constituting the head andghetween: which 7 the, broom "downwardly by exerting a pres 7 members the block andstripsare interposed, sure on the handle, bringing the scraper intov and bolts passed through said members, said;

pressure Lupon the handlethen scrapes and block belng ofsubstantiallythe same length,

" scoops the dirt from the surface at one opwhile the sweeping material is of; greater scraperis clearly shown in Fig. 5, and it the headfor the purpose set forth; 7 j

60 will be noted that the resilient netting form- 4. In a sweeper, an attach'ng block, sweep Y 7 ing the sweeping material of the broom'is ing material attached to-sai'd-block, c lampbent rearwardly and extends to the rear of ing members havingtheirlower portiorisre thescraper at thesame side, of the head, so cessed and adapted torejceive said attaching that, as ;the scraper'is pushed forwardly, block and sweeping material, clamping members and said attaching block and sweeping material, and bolts for clamping said members, plates, block and sweeping material together.

5. In a sweeper, an attaching block, strips of sweeping material secured to the sides of said attaching block, abutting clamping members recessed at their lower portions and adapted to receive said attaching block and sweeping material, clamping plates interposed between said members and said attaching block and sweeping material, clamping bolts extending through the lower portions of said clamping members, clamping plates and attaching block for bindingthe sweeping material securely in position, a handle extending through the upper portions of said clamping members, means for retaining said handle in place, and additional means for clamping the upper portions of said clamping members together.

6. The combination with a head formed of clamping members, of sweeping material secured within the head by said members and projecting outwardly therefrom, a plate interposed between one of said members and the said material, and means for securing the members, the material and the plate together, said plate being of substantially the same length as said members and projecting beyond the lower edge thereof at an angle to form a scraper.

7. The combination with the head of a sweeper composed of opposite clamping members and means for fastening them together, of sweeping material attached to said head by said members and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a scraper blade clamped between one of said members and the sweeping material and bent longitudinally outside the head and extendin downwardly and outwardly from the liead in front of said material at an angle thereto to form a scraper, said scraper blade being of substantially equal length to the head but of materially less width than the sweeping macopiel of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the terial so as not to come in contact with the surface to be swept until said material is flexed in the act of sweeping.

8. The combination with a head, of sweeping material secured to and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a scraper blade also secured to said head by the same fastening means that secures the sweeping material to the head and projecting downwardly and outwardly from the head in front of said sweeping material at an angle to said mate rial when the latter is in its normal position, the extent of projection of said scraper blade being materially less than the projection of the sweeping material from said head, and the lower or active edge of said blade being on a horizontal plane from one end to the other whereby when the material is flexed in sweeping, said edge of the blade is brought simultaneously into engagement with the surface to be swept in advance of said material, the blade assuming a substantially vertical position.

9. The combination with a head, of strips of wire netting secured to and projecting outwardly therefrom and constituting the sweeping body of the sweeper, and a scraper also secured to said head against the sweeping material and projecting downwardly and outwardly from the head in advance of said body, being bent outside the head at an acute angle to the normal inactive position of said sweeping body, whereby the free edge of the scraper contacts with the surface when the sweeping bod is flexed rearwardly in sweeping said sur ace, causing the scraper and sweeping body to be active simultaneously upon said surface.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MoKEE.

Witnesses:

I. D. BRABsoN, CHAS. P. BAKER.

Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

